RIP the best boy. Jet

Said goodbye to the best boy today. Poor old Jettypuss, best trail dog ever, when he could... 

Buried not that far from where he was born, lived his life loved by us all.

Friday E-tour with T, then a Short Saturday Sunset Figure-of-8 Dog Fat-Spin

So, Friday, T and me on our ebikes headed up thru Vic Park Rd, down onto Dyers to turn right at the Kiwi and all the way around the Summit to Gebbies, bombed down to Teddington and along towards Governors. At Allandale we hit the Old Coach Rd along the waterfront to the Jetty. Out to the end of this, then up the hill, checked out Nainy's old driveway, then up to the pub, Otoromiro, for several drinks and a yummy meal. Finished with back up and over the top and home. 

Not bad 35 kms and over a grand's climbing.  And good to know what the ebikes are capable of...

Saturday evening, on the loose end of a few beersies, I took Jet up on a weird little short, puffy fatty-spin up a little local loop-about. Surprisingly, a sweet little workout given the low speed. Granny (or slightly taller) ups, and short-shrift wee blitzes of flowy groove, between waiting for the geriatric old man dog, downs.   Hope it isn't too hard on his weary old joints. 

However, a lovely taste of what I should get up to every night - really... Close encounters with gorgeous setting sun rays through the trees, and kereru.  Ridiculous how much fun a rigid bike can be. 

Less than 2 kms and stupidly only 55 m of altitudinal gain, in a whole 32 minutes.

Quick Dog Run

Quick up on the Troll with Jet last night, testing out my new tires.  He was gagging for it, even tho his old man hips were gonna be screaming at him later.  We cruised up the walking path, and into the bushy one, then up between road and dog park to the carpark, straight across into the trail.  He faffed around a bit and then some riders came through, then a couple of runners who I let past.  Then we got going, stopping a couple of times to let him catch up.  Jumped the tree branch, waited, then through oaks, up to the right, up around to dogparkbottom and down, into Charles' Track.  Nice and broad now, easy riding, will use more often.    

Then headed left out the side (cos there were some people with a dog going up on the other side), and down across the grassy bits to home.

Not even 2 km, and (by my own calculations) 86 m climbed. (MMR says it was only 55, but that's bollocks, lowest point, 222 m, highest point, 296 m, descended to 259, climbed again to 271, and back down...)

Another Shorty with the Doge, and T, on the Troll

Ebike Tra'y and me on the Troll quick spun the doggy up the hill. He ran and panted. I rode and panted. Tra'y just toodled along. We parted ways and I took Jet down the 235 trail for a good hunk of fun. 

Just over a mile again.  One happy dog.

Sunday Short Local Dog Troll

Love To Ride month and needed to keep up the content. Forecast leading up to today was looking like it was going to be shitty but it turned out to be a lovely day. T and me were intending on going out for another e-hoon but got stuck into the garden instead, so later in the day I took Jet out for a wee blast on the Troll, keeping it very local.  Barely worth mentioning, 1 mile with 50 m climbed, but greasy fun with inappropriate tires was had.  And the dog loved it!

Friday Night Fatty, Dog Run

Weather inclement all day but no precipitation and dog needed a spin so I took him out on the fatty up into the park. Some good climbing and singletrack fun times.  Up the walking track, then bottom of dog park, back down road a little, down the access track then climbed up the 235 dh track.  From carpark, across road up onto the 'new' zig to behind the slide, around through the picnic shelters and up the walking track over behind the infocentre, then up behind the ranger station behind 19th, as usual to Skidder, then up the gutzer...  hung a hard right before the cattlestop and sidled along to start of Sesame St, flowing through into the Gums trails, fun blast down this all the way to 19th, then below road cutting up to Tawhairanui, poaching this, then from Dogpark carpark down the fun single and home.

Minimalia, 4.15 kms and 137m climbed

Thursdog Trollspin

So good to get out even if so briefly. Rain just starting up as we left home.  Short and sweet, dragging along the dog for the ride.  First time in way too long, recovery from Covid and Poteriteri field trip having got in the way.  Up on the Troll with Jettypuss, on the walking track by the road.  Avoiding another dog in the slide part of the park, then up to the sunset table, over and down behind, then back round, poaching a couple of sections of trail on the way, including Tawhairanui track. From here across the dogcarpark and into the 235 singletrack.  Pretty good.  Down to the jump and over, then stopped to chat to a few riders in here just finishing practicing corners.  On my way, right through to the H.Ell extension, across the road and down home.

Measly 2.6 kms, 75m climbed.  Happy dog.

Sunday Troll Dog Spin

 Short'n sweet, but test riding the Troll after putting a smaller front ring on it (38? from 40), and having to shorten the chain.  Took Jet for a spin down the hill around up the school alleyway (which I managed to ride a most of) then back up the hill.  Was good to ride that nice light bike again, and I'll be riding it to work occasionally now cos it's low enough geared to not kill me riding home.

Only 2.44 kms, with a measly 80 m climbed.

Rode it to work on Wednesday.  Man it felt good.  So responsive and light in traffic, and really comfortable!  Slightly shorter stem needed (might poach off singlespeed), but otherwise good. 

On way up hill in the afternoon, it was long, hard and exhausting, but still good, and much betterer than previous gearing.  Need to adjust seat forward and tilted slightly for more climbing comfort, and to compensate for the longer stem it's running.

Easter Sunday Fat Jet Up and Back Down

Quick dog run on the Fatty with Jetty-puss to exhaust his old bones.  Clamber clamber, hum humm.  Round back of 19th, up the bastard grunter from skidder, over to and down the gums, much funs, then below road briefly and across the grass down to dogparkcarpark, into the sweet singletrack, mildly greasy and tight down here, then back up to bottom of dogpark and down the back of houses trail.

A little up and back, under 5 kms, with 160 m climbed

Super Short Fat Sunday Isolation Dog Spin

Positive covid in the house, so we're in Isolationville.  Super short and quick up on the fatty with Jet the woofy. Off the road, up the little track just in the bushes following the road.  Onto the road for the stretch up to the top dogparkcarpark, straight into the single-track descent, fun fun bomb twist weave through here.  Over the first jump then waiting for Jet, then down through the oaks for a detour out onto the newly discovered (on a recent walk) 'peninsula' seat. Loop back around then across the Ell, up the access track up to lower dogparkcarpark and down to Charles's track, ducking and weaving through this, out onto the steep behind-the-houses descent, round home.

A twisty 2 kms, with a whole 75 m climbed.

Oh yeah, and earlier in the day, T and me went out on the ebikes.  I put the seat right down and she rode my Momentum, and I rode H's Converted Surly (like a bmx bike under me).  We went down Kidson, across MacMillan and up Hackthorne.  T found the Momentum very good so we picked a girly one up on Clearance from Evo. 

Sunday Bottle Jet Single

After a week and a half of being sick with a bad cold, and 2 weeks of no rides, finally got out for a spin.

 Had a beverage pick up to make in Burwood so took the dog and the BFe SS out to Bottle Lake.  Headed in the middle and hung the leftish route to keep it short for the tired old dog.  Through the grown up trees, into the tall forest past the pond then on through, Jet keeping a good steady speed the whole way.  Out, around and along the middle front, all familiar trails, albeit with taller trees than even last year's Fat bike outings.  

Along muddy road and into a brand new trail to the left, opposite the trail from Spencerville.  Rolled through this, through two sections of forest, then onto a road for a long haul west, down to what used to be known as Andrew's Favourite, all the good bits in between now decimated.  Through this dark forest, Jet slowing down a little, but still steady as he went.  Then, intersection, options rightish, through what was a new section a few years ago, or leftish into newer forest, kinda following old ways but all newer trail, which i took as it's shorter.  Wound around this for a while and eventually out.

A reasonable, easy 10 kms, spectacularly 89 m climbed, for a happy dog and a recovering sicko.

Black Dog on a Black Night Ride

Jet is now too slow to ride with me... Left home and headed up into the park, him on the lead trotting alongside happy as anything.  Up through to 19th, over the back of this exploring a singletrack line I'd only walked in the other direction before not really remembering what was to come, over to the skidder, and up the grunter.  He was all good for all of this.  Up into Brakefree, where I turned and pointed down the new flow.  Not bad, bombed in, swooping and pumping and railing out to the turn off for Sesame St, and turned to see no dog...  hmmm...  a group of guys rode through (the Thursday Night 'Gheybois' Nelson and me have ridden with a couple of times) and then Jet turned up.  

We sidled across to the cattlestop Rock garden entry of gums and I helped him under the fence and got rolling again, bloop blop down the rocks, into the gums and turned back to see if he was there, and he never showed. I whistled, I called, I went back up the track to where I'd last seen him, then rode down, all the while whistling and calling him.  No sign of his wee glowing yellow eyespots trotting infront of his shadow body.  Further down, where the back and forth takes you over that old log and into the corner next to the jumps track I stopped and whistled and yelled, then heard a whistle and shout from the skidder site.  He was there with the 'Gheybois' (who were just wondering who'd get first go at him, lol).  I told him off and we headed downwards...  From here on down he was annoyingly slow, making me stop every 20 metres to look back and make sure he was coming.  We cut down below the road, then through to the Tawhairanui track and then down the 235, up, past a car smoking pot at the dog park and down Charles's track in the bush behind the houses and then home...

Just under 5 kms and a total 171 m climbed.

Slowtober

 Well well well...  Still no riding.  Back is much better thanks.  Have ridden the Troll around the block a few times, and even cycled from Carlton Mill Rd across the park to work last week, and am thinking I'll ride into town this afternoon to work too.  Middle of selling the house.  Getting antsy, and wanna go for a ride ride, which I'm going to sooooon. 

Hocktober, Post Hoc Post Op

Well.  Visited with the Surgeon yesterday, he gave me the go ahead with life.  Still sore, but getting back to it all.  
Last night we rode to dinner, possibly I wasn't supposed to, but the Surgeon said take it as you feel it and I felt great on the bike.  After dinner I took the dog for a bit of a meander, and this proved slightly more difficult. It's left me a bit sore.  My core, and back muscles are obviously not up for this yet.  (Plus dinner gave be a bit of a guts ache...  blah).  
So, more taking it easy...

Hanmering the Anvil

Started out with the fam (T, Joyful, Anth (on O's bike) and Lynn (on H's Instigator)) and happy Jet the dog, down the path from just along the street, to the Dog Stream walk track, heading up river on our side, then across the road and over the bridge, up something that kinda becomes Easy Rider below the road, up through the main park entrance and ranger station etc, noticing a cool wee skills ("this is what the different grades of mtb trail mean").  Turned into Western Link and cruised through here.  A first time doing any real hill work for most of these folks.

I led them into Swamp, all the way amazed at how happy Tra'y was with the riding.  Lynne is an ex-regular, so she had skills and a bit of pep, and Anth was a total natural, even if not all that fit.  Joy struggled on the hill work and anything techical.  I dont think it helps that her tires are, like, 1.9s and her forks are sunken.

At the top, a bit of a relax and then I dived into Swoop.  I bombed off, then thought to stop and see how they were coming.  Tra'y arrived first, saying "That's waaay too hard for mum!" but the others progressed through and Joy was fine, had walked a couple of little things (and had a crash I think).  I followed Anth for a sec, then we caught up to Lynned and I rocketted through chasing T, thinking I'd see her soon, but no.  Miles down I caught Jet, who veered aside for me and then down at that big treestump jump I landed and slammed on the brakes behind her.  Followed her down the hairpins but the second was sticky as and she doesn't 'get' them yet, so that was the only bit she bailed on.  They all rolled in after in their appropriate order, covered in splecks of mud.

Across Western again (I spotted an exit from Meeny I've never seen before, so will explore that in future).  At the Dog Stream, I bailed from them and headed up stream on my lonesome.  Climbed steadily but 3/4ths of the way up I was thinking, hmmm, a bit hungry...  Overtaken by a skinny friendly guy on a nice big brown Surly Ogre, made me jealous of his speed, then crossed the bridge and headed across the road and up the Fir Trail, having forgotten how fucking steep it is in places...  ugh.  Feeling a bit tired at this stage, and still insisting to myself to do Bigfoot.

Into the Bigfoot climb and reeaally not feeling up to it.  Struggled a way, grunting and chuffing, climbing climbing, eventually I just had to get off and walk...  Several corners, walking, riding a bit, walking...  to the top.  Obligatory photo taken,

hit the down.  Wetness, frost, frost thaw, sticky, splecky, muckfest.  Fun control on the greasy roots, popping, diving, loving every second of the zen state concentration, completely feeling the trail and the grip and contact patch of both tires, and the balance.  Joyous!  Into the trees, weaving past their trunks, around across, then out, and fuuucckkk it was greasy, and that sticky clay schit that sticks to the tires and flies off in globs...  Ugh.  Popped out the bottom and rolled past some other riders (also just finished ahead of me - hadn't seen them)) and down the road.

Contemplated Detox, but really couldn't face that climb so over into Mach 1, nearly colliding with an e-biker, but after that, no one.  Not bad roll down this, tho it's climbs were nastier than I've felt before, and the grease was appalling - passenger styles - lower down.

Finished off across Camp (again, couldn't be arsed with Basecamp, just wanted to get home), and then hit up the skills/grade 'demo' trails.  They're a really good representation of what the various tracks are like.  Over the road, and down Easy, then across the bridge, climbed up the walk-track hill with an audience of walkers, and was super relieved to be back.

A reasonably respectable 14 kms with a very steep (but always surprisingly little) 293 m climbed.

Thursday Mucky Spleckie "I can actually ride!!"

Out on my own with just Jet for company.  Rode up the road to Jollies Pass Rd, crossed over before bridge and explored a trail to the left and upwards.  Walked cos was steep, and ended up (eventually) at the top end of Torquay Terrace (where we stayed last year).  Dropped over to the big field (that was the event village when i did the 12 hour) and cruised over to and up Swamp, time to test these leg things.  Hmm, not bad.  Made the top in reasonable time, feeling pretty good.

A Wiemerana (dog) turned up and made friends with Jet (tho, they tend to be a bit arrogant), and I let it and it's rider head off ahead, giving them plenty of space.  Into Swoop for a greasy mucky fun filled spleckfest.  Nice bomb down, catching the Weimerana in the lower reaches, Jet bolted ahead and ran with her to the finish. 

Across for the Timberlands climb.  Yes, managed that.  Still feeling pretty okay.  Then into Red Rocks, cleaned all the climbs but was definitely feeling it at the highest point.  Into the down and funtimes.  Really good handling, zen state of bike handling, tire engagement, feeling everything, at one again, niiice, yay!  I love it!!!  and then into Eeny (as opposed to Meeny), wafting and squirrelling through this.  Then out onto Western, hung a right, and around the big field the way I'd come in, trying out the Torquay to Jollies trail downwards...  short, but FUN.  Then down Easy, across river and up to the house.

Not a bad, nearly 8 kms, but only 201 m climbed.

A very dirty dog...

Monday Hanmer Easy Riding Body Testing

Trying out this mountain biking lark again having not ridden properly off road since the 7th of MARCH. Tra'y, Jet and me took a 9.5 km jaunt around the forest tracks.

Easy Rider climbing away slowly to Snakes'n'ladders, then across the Heritage trail to Basecamp, blat round this and then down Alligator Alley, going all the way down a long fast descent to Perserverence, then back along this back up to the house.

Longest ride for Jet and me for a LONG time.  Body did pretty good coping with 9.5 km and 101 m climbed.  Try it out harder tomorrow.

Another week of Non-Eventualities

Around the traps a few times with Jetty-puss for late-lunch breaks.  Nothing to speak of, but blogged instead:

Three and third kms of clearing out his pee-mailbox.

A couple of very local kms, dank and dogolated.

And, yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away.  Returning a couple books, nice wide open cruise of 3.2 kms.

Downpour showers coming and going today, so sadly no outing for either of us.

Weakening Weekly

Usual few little cruises around the hood.  But otherwise nothin' doin'.

First off, a nice cruise showing Tra'y around the new alleys...

Then, some superer-local, mixing it down...

Followed by what is extreme in it's localness, slort and show, with Jet's dog years catching up on him...

And, last but not least, a Dweet and soggy spin yesterday.

The Weekly Weakly...

Meh.  Nigel No-Rides.

One or two dog runs, not as many as I should.  Was a relaxing weekend, and as such, was feeling yesterday almost like I could have handled a 'proper' ride...  albeit, gently gently.  Wish I'd gone out.  Maybe I should try today, during the day, while no body's watching?

Anyway.  Rode into work on Monday?, and was good til I aimed for home, realised I'd forgotten my prescription, so detoured across to the chemist, and from there the ride home dragged on me and made quite wiped. 

Otherwise, only a typical dog spin to show, mapped, for the week.  Though, I'm certain I did a couple of others.

And, Saturday saw me ride to Steve's for his party.  Via Nelson's, there to Stanmore New World, back to Nelsie's, cos I'd left my phone behind, then to Steves, and later, home.  Zigs and zags about town, not mapped.  Bloody freezing at 12.30 am, through a frosty, and surprisingly quiet, city night